Plotting the possible areas of congestion during normal operations, explaining why these areas are prone to congestion and the measures that can be taken to prevent or minimise congestion
P6: Plot the possible areas of congestion during normal operations, explaining why these
areas are prone to congestion and the measures that can be taken to prevent or minimise
congestion
Check in halls and bag drop
One area that can become congested is the check in halls because of busy flight times. Many
people will go on holidays on Fridays and the weekends this is the busiest time because this
is when people would go on holiday and they have a day off from work. Many people would
often go on holiday during the summer because they are able to take break from work and
the kids don’t need to go to school. This means that a lot of people would go on holiday
during the summer however will cause the check in halls and bag drop to become congested
because there are a lot of people there at once. On my map I have plotted where the
congestion in the check in hall would be. Check in desks are located next to each other so
many passengers can check in at once. This makes it quick and easy for airport staff to check
in passengers when they arrive. This would cause congestion because if passengers want to
check in they would visit the check in area. However the check in desks are too close to each
other and many passengers would be causing congestion in the check in area.
People that arrive 2-4 hours before their flight to get checked in will arrive earlier so they
will not become and they will have time to spare. This means that it will become congested
because people will arrive earlier than they would need and there could be a time when lots
of people arrive but then go to only a few arriving, you just wouldn’t know. Flights that are
2-3 hours before will have passengers earlier however people that have a flight that is 2-4
hours later would also come this would cause a lot of people to come at the same time.
Many people travelling on holiday take luggage that needs to be checked in this will cause
the checks in halls to become congested because people who work at the check in desks
need to be thorough. Staff will check documents and passports they will also put labels on
bags. Check in halls need to work quickly however they need to ensure that they have
checked every passenger and their documents are correct. This is because they need to
ensure that every passenger is booked in otherwise this cause disturbances for aviation
operations. An aircraft could have booked more passengers this could cause disturbances
when the airlines have realised this. Seats would be full and there would be a large amount
of passengers this means that some passengers would have to go onto a different aircraft. It
is important to check documents to ensure that passenger have the correct documents for
example a passenger may have an expired visa which means that they cannot travel unless
the destination offers a visa free entry.
If staff work too quickly then this means that they could miss something out while checking
in passengers this may cause problems later for the passenger while they are going to
security. This could have a negative impact on the passenger because the airport would not
allow the passenger to board their flight. They would need to ensure they have the right
documents next time they go on a flight.
, Unit 8
Measures to minimise congestion at check in
Airports staff need to ensure that they minimise congestion otherwise it will become too
crowded causing difficulties for staff and passengers. For example due to congestion
passengers are finding it difficult to find the check in area. This means that passengers may
be late to their flight because they are unable to find their way around the airport due to the
congestion. Staff will have difficulty trying to control the congestion and getting passengers
to where they need to be regarding check in or security checks. Opening an extra check in or
bag drop desks at times of multiple flight departures can make it much easier for passengers
as there would be more places for passengers to go to if they want to check in. Multiple
flight departures makes it difficult because it causing the airport to become congested
however extra customer service agents to assist queuing passengers can make it minimise
the congestion. This is because they can help in locating a particular place in the airport such
as check in desks. If a flight has been cancelled they can help by ensuring that passengers
what they need to do next this can be booking them a new flight or helping them book a
hotel to stay overnight. This will help minimise congestion because passengers would be
staying at hotels and their flight would be booked. This means that when they arrive the
next day they will not be congesting the airport.
Boarding pass checks when there are multiple flight departures
Boarding pass checks when there are multiple flight departures will help minimise
congestion. This is because when passengers are given their boarding pass check they will be
able to visit airside and get ready to board their flight. This means that passengers will not
cause congestion in the airport because they have received their boarding pass and they will
get ready to board their flight. Customer service agents need to check boarding passes when
there are multiple flight departures however many people need to get through to security at
the same time, so there will automatically be queues forming as passengers wait for those in
front of them to scan their boarding pass that is essentially a pass for them to get through to
security. If you have not paid for a flight and have not checked in then you do not have
permission to go into security. Multiple passengers cannot check in at once because staff can
only check one boarding pass at a time. Staff need to divide the passengers into two groups
so one group can check in while other need to wait in the departure lounge. This minimises
congestion because passengers are checking in instead of crowding the boarding pass check
area. Many airports use automated check in where the passenger scans their boarding
cards, and they can do this on their phones if they have the app and QR code. This is
essentially a way to minimise congestion because it can be much quicker if you already have
this open on your phone but then it could also increase congestion because it may not pick it
up and may take a bit to scan to open the barriers.
Measures to minimise congestion when checking boarding passes
When congestion is occurring airport staff need to do something to minimise it such as
provision of automated boarding card machines. This will verify the boarding pass at the
boarding gate and update the airline so they will know if the passenger has boarded. This
will minimise congestion because passengers can check in themselves and they don’t need
to wait for staff to check them in. Splitting into lanes such as family lanes where they would
check them in. This would take longer however splitting the lane means that there is a
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